Europe isn't the only place with fairytale castles that enchant and inspire. The New World has its share of castles as well, and one of the best can be found near the banks of Lake Ontario in Toronto. Casa Loma is the brainchild of Sir Henry Mill Pellatt, a financier with a creative streak who decided in 1911 to build the largest private home in North America. Three years later, his 98-room masterpiece was completed, and he spent the next ten years living very much like a king. Unfortunately, financial troubles during the Great Depression forced him to leave the castle in 1923, and the architectural treasure has belonged to the city ever since. Pellatt's loss is everyone else's gain, as his former home is open to the public for tours of the castle and grounds. Casa Loma has everything you could want in a castle, including elaborately decorated suites, lookout towers, an 800-foot tunnel, and - best of all - several secret passages, because you never know when you might need to disappear in a hurry. After marveling at the labyrinth of rooms inside the house, take a look at the wide variety of trees, shrubs, perennials, and wildflowers in the five-acre garden, and the elaborate stalls for Pellatt's four-legged friends in the stables and carriage room. That's right, even the horses lived in the utmost of comfort and luxury. Guests at the nearby Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel or any of Starwood's Toronto properties might want to check out this eccentric tribute to one Canadian's imagination.